Kanye West’s apparel company Yeezy is suing one of its summer interns for posting confidential photos on Instagram — and it’s seeking to enforce a half-million-dollar liquidated damages clause.
The intern, Ryan Inwards, signed a non-disclosure agreement that contained a $500,000 liquidated damages provision, according to a complaint filed Friday in L.A. County Superior Court. Such provisions put an upfront price tag on contractual breaches in an effort to further ensure compliance.
The NDAs prohibit disclosing or disseminating confidential information on social media, and Yeezy says Inwards shared non-public images on Instagram and hasn’t removed them even after it sent multiple cease and desist letters. (An Instagram account of the same name now has zero posts.)
Yeezy is suing Inwards for breach of contract and conversion, and is seeking the $500,000 in liquidated damages plus punitive damages because the company believes he’s acting maliciously. It’s also seeking an injunction mandating that he turn over the images and be banned from similar posts in the future.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter